I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 140
Chapter 140: She Must Love You Very Much
Under Su Yunjin’s explanation, I roughly understood the specific situation of the upcoming “major action” in the Nanqi District.
In simple terms, a cross-sea bridge is about to be constructed here, connecting the Nanqi District with several small islands in the Nanqi Sea Center. The sea areas between these islands will also be filled, connecting the islands to establish a highly complex archipelagic “special zone,” also known as the legendary “Tenth District.”
The name of this special zone is still under consideration through a vote. It is located in the southern waters of Shenzhen City, with the nearest island to the coast being over ten kilometers away from the Nanqi District. One relatively remote island on this route has not been named yet and is planned to be developed into a villa area in the future.
As for the café “Shangjing Cat Maid Cafe” that Ouyang Xue was instructed to open here in the Nanqi District, there is a hidden benefit. If the café operates smoothly in the future and indeed stimulates the local economy, helping the newly built commercial street in the Nanqi District boost domestic demand, then all employees of the café can receive a set of at least 200 square meters villas on that island. These villas will have a two-story structure, including a backyard garden.
Of course, this matter is not yet confirmed, and even Ouyang Xue herself has only heard about it without a formal written contract. That’s probably also the reason why Ouyang Xue has been working so hard in recent months.
In other words, the “Nanqi District’s upcoming 58 billion investment in construction” mentioned by Su Yunjin earlier is just the tip of the iceberg for the entire project. “The total project cost is over 200 billion, including 58 billion for the economic construction of the Nanqi District’s commercial street and the nearby development zone, over 300 billion for the cross-sea bridge, and over 1 trillion for the reclamation and coastal engineering construction.”
Facing the curious gazes of both me and Yin Xiamo, Su Yunjin put on a mysterious look and said, “The entire project is estimated to take ten years. The cross-sea bridge should be completed in about eight years, and the villa area on that island will probably be finished around that time. If the café is still around after eight years, you guys might become the first residents there.”
Well, that’s intriguing…
Su Yunjin’s words made me even more curious, so I asked, “It sounds like a huge investment. Why does Shenzhen City want to reclaim this sea?”
“The more common explanation is to increase Shenzhen’s livable area, alleviate housing and population issues, and boost employment rates.”
In response to my question, Su Yunjin smiled slightly and continued, “To put it broadly, it’s about deterring other countries and enhancing coastal control.”
“Huh?”
“By then, besides building residential and commercial streets, we’ll also construct shipyards, airports, and such… You can think of it as showcasing the country’s strength to the world. I’m not too clear on the political aspects.”
“Oh…”
I probably understood. It’s like during the Cold War when two superpowers competed to showcase their strength by continually achieving milestones like landing on the moon.
“So…”
Looking at Su Yunjin, I jokingly said, “So, you came here today to remind us… to paint a rosy picture for me and Xiamo, telling us not to resign?”
“This is not just wishful thinking. These are all real plans. Although I can’t guarantee that there will definitely be villas in the future, the fate of this café is indeed now linked to the project I mentioned. You guys have exceeded the expectations of those above. Many tourists who come to the café notice the commercial street and residential area behind it after playing here, and the buzz has suddenly increased.”
Su Yunjin looked a bit awkward and said, “To be honest, I came early in the morning to talk to you about these things, and indeed, I hope you guys won’t quit or go elsewhere.”
Finally, he added with a somewhat embarrassed tone, “If what those guys just said really tempted you… I can apply for a raise for you.”
“No need for that,” I gave him a look, “I can calculate the café’s revenue, and right now, not operating at a loss for a month is already good.”
Of course, if you insist on giving me a raise, I won’t mind.
“No, no, it’s different. The hidden benefits you bring are different. They value the value behind you more,” Su Yunjin explained, “At least now everything is developing in the right direction.”
“Hey, everyone!”
At this moment, Ai Luodi, who had gone to the bathroom and changed out of her maid outfit, walked over with a backpack, saying, “I’ll leave it to you guys here, I’m heading back.”
“Alright!”
I waved to Ai Luodi, saying, “Be safe on the way! Don’t fall asleep!”
“I’m not, how can anyone fall asleep while walking,” Ai Luodi yawned.
Su Yunjin also waved to him, saying, “Should I drive you?”
“It’s just a few steps, no need for a ride. You guys continue chatting…”
Yawning, Ai Luodi walked out of the room. Su Yunjin frowned at this scene, asking, “Is she really okay?”
“It’s fine, Ai Luodi is like that. Eating and sleeping every day, she always looks like she can never get enough sleep.”
Yin Xiamo explained, “If you’re interested, you can add her on QQ or WeChat. I guarantee she’ll make you question your life choices with her scoldings.”
“Let’s forget about that…”
Su Yunjin wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to me, asking, “Do you have any more questions about the island?”
I thought for a moment and asked, “Is it a guaranteed set of houses, or do we need to use some method to draw lots for a guaranteed reward? Like 10 wishes in Genshin Impact is guaranteed to get a 4 star character or weapon.”
“It’s not a gacha game…” He sighed in an exasperated manner, “I’ve explained it so straightforwardly to you. Although there’s no contract document, this matter should be secure. Since the new district has just been developed, and it’s surrounded by the sea on all sides, no one will be willing to buy houses there in the first few years. So, the villas over there won’t be too expensive at the beginning. I estimate around three to five hundred thousand. When you work here for eight years, you get an annual bonus of forty to fifty thousand housing provident funds. Isn’t that a reasonable arrangement?”
“Yeah, the way you put it makes sense.” I nodded, “I’m not really familiar with the operations of you capitalists…”
Strictly speaking, this couldn’t be classified as capitalists, it was part of Shenzhen City government’s development plan. With the planning documents in place, Tongmeng Net joined as an investor, obtaining first-hand information. They then collaborated to set up a café on the commercial street—a script along those lines. Su Yunjin, as the young master of Tongmeng Net, had been scouting for someone suitable to be the café’s top maid recently. The old me had a good relationship with him, and turning into a girl during an offline meeting caught his attention. So, he came over with café flyers.
After that, I successfully applied, and with Ouyang Xue’s tireless efforts and outstanding appearance, the opening of the café achieved tremendous success. Strictly speaking, the biggest credit in all of this should go to Ouyang Xue.
As a novel writer, I am well aware of the current era. In this fast-paced society, “promotion” is much more important than the “technology” itself.
The era of “good wine needs no bush” is long gone. Now, it’s all about competing in the period of advertising and promotion.”
Imagine this: when people usually go to a green or pink app to find comics, isn’t the first thing they notice the cover and title of the comic? If the cover is not attractive enough or if it features some inexplicable image, people quickly scroll past, regardless of how exciting the content might be. On the contrary, putting the most well-drawn page with some color on the cover will significantly boost the readership.
With so many choices available nowadays, people don’t have the patience to savor and find high-quality content.
Similarly, without Ouyang Xue’s vigorous promotion, showcasing all the unique talents, even if the café has excellent conditions, and I and Xiamo are as cute and beautiful as can be, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve a booming popularity on the first day of opening.
However, for someone like me who has been disappointed by many “painted visions” in the past, I don’t completely believe Su Yunjin’s words.
As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
According to Su Yunjin, it will take approximately eight years to build the cross-sea bridge. During these eight years, what will happen? Can the bridge be successfully constructed? Will there be any obstacles? Will the project be delayed? Can the new sea area be successfully built after construction, and will the villas on the island be realized? All of these uncertainties are hard to predict.
Taking a step back, even if the bridge is indeed being constructed, and the new sea area in Shenzhen City is successfully completed, can I maintain my current status quo? Nowadays, most people go to college after the high school entrance exam at 18, spend four years in university, graduate at 22, and enter society. At almost 30 years old, I have been working in society for about eight years. Eight years ago, I was just a naive and ignorant male college student fresh out of society, and now, eight years later, I am a maid in a café.
I couldn’t foresee such changes. Therefore, I maintain a skeptical attitude towards Su Yunjin’s words. I won’t expect too much to get a house after eight years, nor will I completely dismiss the possibility. I’ll just live my life honestly and save money.
“No, no, no, my dad often says I’m not suitable to be a capitalist. He says if I were to manage a company, the family fortune would be squandered.”
In the quiet café, Su Yunjin glanced at the time on his phone. “How is Ouyang Xue? Nothing serious, I hope?”
“There is,” I sighed lightly. “Severe cold plus gastrointestinal bleeding. She was in the emergency room for a long time yesterday. Now Li Chen is watching over her, so there shouldn’t be any immediate issues.”
“I always thought it wasn’t appropriate for the company to have Ouyang Xue come over to handle this.”
Su Yunjin thought for a moment. “I’ll go to the hospital later and have a serious talk with that workaholic…”
?I should be under the car, not in the car, seeing how sweet you two are… ?
At this moment, Su Yunjin’s phone rang, and surprisingly, the ringtone was an old song – “He Loves You Very Much.”
“Sorry, I have to take this call.”
Giving me a glance, the young man took out his phone, unlocked the screen, checked the caller ID, and initially prepared to walk away, but then pressed the answer button.
“What are you up to so early?”
“Huh?”
As the speakerphone wasn’t on, I couldn’t hear very clearly, but judging by Su Yunjin’s expression, he seemed quite surprised.
“Are you serious?”
“She… you just met a few days ago, right?”
“Well, okay. Since you’ve already decided, I’ll definitely be there to support.”
“Nuo’er? Nuo’er, you have to ask her yourself. I think it should be fine.”
“Alright, that’s settled then. I have to go to the hospital to visit a patient in a bit. Goodbye.”
After putting away his phone, Su Yunjin walked over to me. “Marisa is getting married.”
“Huh?”
It took me a while to remember who the “Marisa” this young man was talking about, “Jiang Wei?”
“Yeah.”
“The girl you mentioned going to the movies with last time?”
“Yes, that one.”
Su Yunjin smiled wryly. “Jiang Wei said they fell in love at first sight, tried dating for a few days, found similar interests, and then thought about getting married… Do you want to advise him against it?”
“They’ve known each other for less than a week, right?”
I couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing. “And they’re already planning to get married?”
Although… according to Jiang Wei’s explanation, that girl is his first love, and Jiang Wei is still her “hero.” But shouldn’t getting married be a more serious matter?
?He must love his neighbor… he has no wife to accompany him… Hallelujah…?
Just as I was saying this, my phone started ringing too, and the ringtone was the Rammstein’s “Hallelujah,” indicating that the caller was close friends like Marisa and Pipi, an old acquaintance.
“Hello?”
I pressed the answer button, and before the other side could speak, I went straight to the point, “I heard from Jituto that you’re planning to get married?”
“Yeah, the wedding is set for next Saturday, May 18th. I’m inviting you. Are you free next Saturday?”
“I…”
After thinking for a moment, I said, “I can make time.”
“What do you mean by ‘can make time’…”
Jiang Wei seemed a bit puzzled for a moment, then quickly caught on. “Oh, you have flexible working hours at the café, right?”
“Yeah, I can adjust my days off here. But are you really sure about this? Marriage is not a trivial matter.”
“I’m sure, Nuo’er. I discovered that our relationship goes beyond just being middle school classmates. Her hobbies are exactly like mine. Ha-ha, we both enjoy studying computers, playing games, watching anime. The games we’ve played and the anime we like are almost identical.”
Jiang Wei opened up: “At first, I thought she was just trying to please me by casually saying that. But when I asked, you know what? She could tell me the key plot points of all the anime I like, even assemble a computer on-site in my computer store. She knows the specific values of the latest Intel i7 gen 12th, i9 processors, the differences between Ryzen processors, and the exact specifications of the graphics cards. She even knows the probability of certain graphics cards being used for cryptocurrency mining. I’m genuinely moved because not many girls understand computers these days.”
Huh? That’s so amazing!
A girl who loves watching anime, can assemble a computer, and is knowledgeable about various computer-related matters? Also, childhood friends? Now I understand.
“Okay, since you’ve already decided, I’ll definitely be there this Saturday.”
I asked through the phone, “Where will the wedding take place?”
“I want it to be at your café.”
Jiang Wei on the other end of the phone dropped a bombshell that left me utterly shocked, “I’m expecting more than thirty people here, so I’ll book your café for the whole afternoon. Do you feel the pressure?”
“Are you sure?” I scanned the various cats on the second floor. “Although our chefs here have the skill of a hotel chef, and the place is spacious enough, are you really not reconsidering? Where do people have weddings at a café?”
“I’ve thought it through. My girlfriend and I decided on it when we watched the video of your café last night.”
Jiang Wei on the phone didn’t sound like he was joking.
“Alright, let’s settle it this way. In the afternoon, my girlfriend and I will come over to discuss the reservation details. Remember to save two seats.”
“……”
……